Lighting fixture



May 1933- J. ALLEN 1,912,116

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 2, 1951 Patented May 30, 1933 reiaut rarer JOSEPH H. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO INLAND GLASS WORKS, INC., (3

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS LIGHTING FIXTURE Application filed February 2, 1931.

My invention relates in general to the art of illumination, more particularly outdoor illumination, my invention having reference to a novel lighting fixture of marked utility in street lighting illuminated advertising and display devices and the like.

One of the important objects of my invention is to produce a display device carrying a readily removable or interchangeable legend, clearly visible by day and capable of illumination to render same clearly visible by night.

Another important object is to provide an improved illuminated street or traflic sign clearly visible by day as well as by night.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved display lamp for street lighting.

Another object is to provide a novel means for and method of detachably mounting a card or sign inside a transparent casing in position to be viewed from outside the casing.

Another important object of the invention is to produce an illumination device comprising a shade preferably in the form of a globe of glass or similar material and carrying a sign, such as a street name or other subject matter of display which it may be desired to associate with the device, the sign being capable of nocturnal illumination by a lamp or other light producing source within the globe.

Another important object is to provide a device of the class described in which a placard containing the name of a street, traflic instruction or similar information may be detachably mounted in position to be most readily viewed by a passerby, the card being mounted within the globe to be thus protected from the elements.

Still another important feature of the invention resides in the combination of a globe and a readily demountable, yet clearly visible and weather protected, sign, whereby the globe, manufactured as a standard article, may be shipped as a standard article to any point of erection and provided with the particular sign or traific rule desired at the particular point of erection as a part of the erecs tion process. lhe globes do not have to be manufactured in the factory with the partic- Serial No. 512,857.

ular signs they bear; thus factory costs are reduced. There is no danger of breaking a relatively expensive special globe in transit, since any desired sign may be incorporated in any globe. This is of great value, particularly in street lighting, where each street sign bears a difierent legend. Moreover, since the sign placards are mounted inside the globe,

and hence protected from the elements, the

signs themselves may be produced in'the form of printing on stifi cards, or even on paper, with a consequent enormous reduction in the cost of producing signs of the class described.

Numerous other objects and advantages 5 will be perceived as the invention is more fully understood from the following description, which, taken together with the accom- V panying drawing, describes devices embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an upright street light embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are views corresponding 1 respectively to Figures land 8 and illustrating my invention as embodied in a suspension type street light; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a sign card for use in the devices shown in Figures 1 through 5.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown on the drawing streetlights having means, clearly visible by day and by night, said means being arranged for nocturnal illumination by the street lamp, whereby to designate the street or location in which the street light is positioned or to disclose tra'llic regulations or other subject matter of display in a highly visible eye-arresting manner. 7 Each shown street-light includes a globe 11 which is or may-be hung, carried or otherwise supported from a lamp standard or support 13, the globe being formed in any usual .or suitablemauner and providediwith an opening 15, which is or may be defined by a neck 17, 100

the neck forming means whereby the globe may be attached to the support 13, as is well known in the art. The opening 15 also provides means through which an electric lamp or other source of light 19 may extend into the interior of the globe or shade 11, whereby to illuminate the same.

The globe or lamp shade 11 may best be formed by molding it in glass or other suitable translucent material which is or may be frosted or otherwise treated to render the globe substantially light diffusing for the purpose of minimizing the concentration of light at the lamp 19 and thus to eliminate glare. The portions of the lamp globe adjacent the opening 15 are preferably formed to provide a plurality of window portions 21 preferably arranged in a horizontal zone around the globe, the horizontal cross-section of the globe being preferably substantially rectangular within the confines of the window zone. The window portions 21 are preferably formed integral with the globe and are preferably made sufliciently transparent to permit signs arranged behind these portions to be visible therethrough in the daytime and also at night to be silhouetted against the light source 19 when the same is energized. The portions 21 also are bowed slightly outwardly to improve the general appearance of the globe and for a further purpose which will hereinafter be more fully described.

It should be understood that when I use the term globe, I do not necessarily mean a lamp shade of spherical form but any shelllike lamp shade is included.

The portions 21 are preferably offset outwardly of the general contour of the globe in order to provide pockets 23 capable of receiving sign cards or placards 25. The cards may be of any suitable sheet material, such as tough paper, cardboard, celluloid or equivalent material, and may contain indicia 26 forming the name of a street or other information or subject matter of display, which indicia may be formed on the card in any cheap non-weather-resisting manner, since, when assembled in the pocket, the card is housed and protected from the weather, so that deterioration of the cards is eliminated, whereby cheap flimsy material may be used for the card stock, if desired.

The carts are preferably formed with sign means comprising indicia upon a. contrasting background, the indicia and background being formed in contrast-ing colors and of contrasting translucence providing a silhouette sign visible through the window portions 21 by day and also at night, when the globe is illuminated by the lamp 19.

Each pocket 23 is formed to receive and support the card behind the wall portion 21 which is sufficiently translucent to permit the card to be seen from outside of the globe.

To support the cards closely against the inner surface of the outer pocket walls, the globe is preferably provided with inwardly extending lugs or flanges 27 formed at the edges of the portions 21 which lugs are arranged in position to receive the edges of the card 25 to retain same in position behind the windows in position to be viewed therethrough from outside the globe. The lugs or flanges 27 are preferably formed as a fold molded in the body of the globe and are preferably arranged at the opposed side edges of the windows, as illustrated, and the placard are slightly longer than the horizontal distance between the opposed retaining lugs, so that, when a card is inserted behind the windows, its opposed side edges will be held in spaced relationship at a distance slightly less than the length of the card. This arrangement will cause the body of the card to be pressed forwardly and into close contact with the outwardly bowed windows, whereby the resilience of the material of which thecard is made will cause the same to closely press against the inner surface of the window without additional fastening means.

A sign card 25 may be mounted in any of the pockets 23 by inserting it endwise through the opening 15 of the globe. The opposed ends of the card will then engage behind the lugs or flanges 27, the central portions of the card being bowed forwardly, as at 28, to permit the ends to be so positioned. The bowed central portions of the card are then pressed forwardly into engagement with the windows 21, the ends of the card sliding into the groove formed by and between the flanges 27 and the window. The card is preferably of such size that, when in arranged position, its opposite end edges engage flanges 27 so that the central portions of the card will be at all times resiliently pressed against the inner face of the window 21 and held in position by the resilience of the card itself. It

will thus be seen that the sign cards, solely through their resilience and their cooperation with the interior of the globe, serve to hold themselves snugly in place.

The silhouette sign cards 25 may be made of any fairly stiff paper, lightweight cardboard, celluloid or other material capable of carrying indicia on the face thereof which is pressed against the inner surface of the window.

The sign cards 25, instead of being formed flat, may, if desired, be given a permanent curvature slightly greater than the curvature of the window, so that, when seated in the pockets, the body of the card will even more surely be held in place by the resilience of the card. If the card is so bent, the resilience of the card will cause the central portions thereof to press outwardly against the window and the ends to press inwardly against the retaining flanges;

I prefer to use any cheap material for making the cards and to form the indiciathereon by means of printing, although other forms of reproduction may, of course, be used in forming the cards 25. It will be obvious that my invention will have valuable application in the production of street designating streetlight, since the lamp may be made as a standard article, transported Without special treatment to the street location where it 1S to be used, and cards which can be produced at a nominal sum may be assembled in the card pockets of the globe as thesame is mountet. in the lamp support 13. If the globe is broken the sign cards may be ar- I i L l'x L ranged 1a a duplicate standard glooe Wluhout necessitating the reproduction of-an eX- pc-nsive globe with special street marking fc lied therein by the expensive process heretofore employed.

Another valuable feature of advantage resides in the provision of street designating or information carrying street-lights in which the information is displayed on cheaply printed cards which are safely housed and protected from the elements on the inside of the globe, thus permitting the sign cards to be made in an inexpensive manner of nonweather resisting materials.

In other words the lamp globe is utilized to protect the sign cards from deterioration due to weathering. The device of my invention is also particularly useful since the signs carried thereby are highly visible when the globe is internally illuminated, as at night, by means of the lamp 19. The signs also have high visibility by day, particularly when the sun is shining, because of the fact that the portions 21 are preferably slanted downwardly to thus be more visible to the passerby. The rays of the sun and/0r skyshine play upon the body of the globe and are concentrated therein and serve to illuminate the sign cards 25 and give them an unexpected brilliance, even in cloudy weather when skyshine only reaches the globe.

it is thought that the invention and its numerous advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and the arrangement of variousparts, without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention and without sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, and I do not intend to limit my invention to the particular embodiments described, the specific forms hereinbefore described being preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustrating my invention. I do not, however, claim herein anything in connection with the coloring or tone effects of the shade and the sign strip, as this forms the subjectmatter of a co-pending application filed by me September '21, 1931, Serial Number Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a glass globe having an integral transparent portion formed therein and through which a sign may be viewed from outside of the globe, and retaining means formed in the globe to hold the same in place behind the transparent portion, the plane of said portion extending at an angle with the vertical Whereby the sign mounted therebehind is tilted to a position more readily viewable by an external observer.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a glass globe having an integral transparent portion formed therein and through which a sign may be viewed from outside of the globe, and integral retaining means formed in the globe to hold the same in place behind the transparent portion, said portion being tilted to face downwardly whereby to present the sign therebehind at an angle more readily viewable by external observers located below the lamp.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a glass globe having an integral outwardly bowed transparent portion formed therein and through which a silhouette sign card, arranged behind the transparent portion, may be viewed from outside of the globe, and integral, inwardly extending, abutments arranged in spaced relationship in the globe for the purpose of engaging opposite ends of the sign card to thereby bow the card outwardly and press the same against the inner face of the transparent portion, thus employing the.

resilience of the card to retain it in viewable position behind the transparent portion.-

4. A street sign comprising a glass globe having an opening to permit an illuminating device to extend into the globe whereby the same may be illuminated from within, said opening being formed witha neck formed for attachment to a light standard whereby the globe may be supported about a substantially vertical axis, said globe being formed with a. sign zone adjacent said neck and comprising a pocket having an outwardly facing wall sloping upwardly and outwardly in said globe to be more clearly visible to observers located below the globe and a sign card located in said pocket with its face'visible through the sloping wall thereof.

5. A street sign comprising a glass globe having a portion whereby the globe may be attached to a support, said portion providing an opening through which an illuminating element carried by the standard may extend into the globe, intermediate portions forming a zone in which the walls of the globe are formed to provide an inwardly opening pocket having outwardly facing curved portions of sufiicient translucence to permit a sign to be read through the curved portions,

said curved portions extending at an angle with the vertical axis of the globe, whereby a sign member mounted within the pocket and extending across the inner surface thereof may be clearly viewed by observers located below the globe, the remaining portions of the globe extending on the side of the zone remote from said neck, having a substantially globular configuration.

6. A street sign comprising an integral glass envelope forming a lamp shade having a neck formed with a terminal opening permitting a light element to extend into the shade through the neck and formed with an internally opening pocket disposed adjacent said neck, a name plate removably mounted entirely within the confines of the envelope with its face against the envelope wall defining said pocket, and means formed integrally in the glass envelope to support the name plate in the pocket.

7. A lamp comprising a glass envelope forming a lamp shade having a portion com prising a neck having a terminal opening whereby the shade may be attached to a support with an illuminating element carried by the support extending through the opening into the shade, said envelope being formed with outwardly bowed translucent wall portions forming a circumferential zone in the lamp shade adjacent the neck whereby when the lamp shade is mounted in position, said wall portions will be substantially oil'set out of the path of horizontal li ht rays passing from the illuminating element to an eX- ternal observer so that sign means held against the wall portions will be more easily read by an external observer by the elimination of direct glaring light rays through the sign means and means formed in the envelope at the opposing ecges of said wall portions to secure the sign means in place.

8. It. unitary glass lamp shade havin a portion comprL l g a it having a terminal opening whereby the shade may be attached to a support with .11 illuminating element carried by the support extending through the opening into the shade, said shade being formed with outwardly curved wall portions forming a horizontal zone in the shade offset out 01": the direct pat n of horizontal light rays passing from the illuminating element to e;- ternal observers so that sign means held against the inner side or". the curved wall portions of the pockets will be more easily read by an external observer by the elimination of direct glaring light rays through the cards, the envelope walls, forming the horizontal zone, being formed with portions er:- tending inwardly at the edges of said portions to engage and support the sign means in place behind the curved wall portions of the zone.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a glass lamp shade having an opening defining a neck through which an illuminating element may extend into the lamp shade, said lamp shade being formed with tour outwardly bowed sides forming windows in the neck portion adjacent the opening, said sides being tilted from the vertical so that signs mounted thereon may be more readily viewable to observers located below the lamp and means to secure sign cards behind said bowed sides.

10. As a new article of manufacture, an integral glass lamp shade former with a horizontal sign carrying zone having a curved wall surface sloping upwardly and outwardly in the lamp shade whereby to present a sign mounted thereon in more readily readable position to external observers located below the lamp shade.

11. A lamp comprising a glass envelope forming a lamp shade having an outwardly displacedzone having'curved wall portions, means to hold indicia bearing means against the curved wall portions, said wall portions being substantially offset out of the path of horizontal. light rays passing directly from the illuminating element to external observers, so that the indicia bearing means held against the curved wall portions will be more easlv rear by an external observer by the elinnin ton of direct glaring light rays through the indicia bearing means.

12.31 device of the class described, comprising a glass lamp shade having an outward y bowed transparent portion, a flexible sign strip behind the transparent portion, and

spaced inwardly extending "abutments formed in the lamp shade adjacent the transparent portion and engaging the sign strip for prevent 1g the same from being displaced from behind the t'ansparent portion, said transparent portion being bowed outwardly and said strip having approximately the same dimension as the distance between the abutments measured along the transparent aortion there between whereby the sign strip s maintained between said abutments in out- "'ardly bowed condition.

13. A lamp shade for street lighting and the like having a window bowed outwardly, a flexible sign snip for placement inside of said window, and abutment-s formed within the la mp slnire and spaced at a distance apart less ii an the length 01" the strip, whereby the strip.

ion, is also bowed outwardly. An article of manufacture comprising e ral glass envelope comprisin a lamp ormed with horizontal zone comwall portions tilted from the vertical i signs mounted thereon may be more readily viewed by external observers located below the lamp shade. said shade being formed with integral inwardly extending means in position to engage the opposite edges of iudicia-bearing devices whereby to support same against the inner surfaces of the tilted portions.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a lamp shade formed with integral, spaced apart, inwardly extending, abutments and an intermediate outwardly bowed wall portion, said abutments being adapted to detachably engage the opposite edges of a sign carrying member for the purpose of supporting the same against the inner surface of the wall portion between the abutments in position to be viewed from outside of the lamp shade.

16. An article of manufacture comprising aglass shell forming a lamp shade having wall portions ofiset outwardly of the normal contour of the shell to form a pocket opening into the interior of the shell for receiving a sign-carrying member, and integral inwardly extending means formed in the lamp shade at the opposite edges of the pocket to support the sign-carrying member within the pocket in position to be viewed through said wall portion from a point outside of the lamp shade.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a glass shell formed with outwardly offset window portions adapted to receive therebehind a flexible, sign-carrying member 10- rated within the shell in position to be viewed through the window from outside of the shell, said outwardly offset portions being defined by integral inwardly extending abutments adapted to cooperate with the edges of the flexible sign-carrying member whereby the same may be held behind the window and retain itself in position by virtue of the resilience of the member.

18. A street sign comprising an integral glass envelope forming a lamp shade having a neck provided with a terminal opening permitting a light element to extend into the shade through the neck, said neck being formed with a horizontal zone comprising outwardly displaced integral wall portions providing a pocket, a name plate removably mounted entirely within the confines of the envelope with its face pressed against the outwardly displaced envelope wall defining said pocket and means integral with the glass envelope to hold the name plate against said wall portions.

19. As a new article of manufacture, a glass lamp shade having an opening defining a neck through which an illuminating element may extend into the lamp shade, said lamp shade being formed with a horizontal zone adjacent the neck comprising curved wall portions offset outwardly of the main contour of the lamp shade adjacent the neck portion thereof, said ofi'set wall portions being tilted from the vertical so that a sign mounted thereon may be readily viewable to observers located below the lamp shade, and means to hold a sign card behind the curved wall portions.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a glass shell forming a lamp shade having wall portions offset outwardly of the normal contour of the shell to form a windowed pocket opening into the interior of the shell for receiving a sign-carrying member behind the window, said pocket having integral means formed along the opposed edges of the window to co-operate with the edges of said pocket-forming meanscomprising means extending inwardly of the window opposite an edge thereof for the purpose of engaging an edge of the sign-carrying member in order to hold the same in the pocket against the transparent wall portions in position to be viewed therethrough from a point outside of the lamp shade.

22. A lamp shade having a resilient namecarrying member arranged, inside of said shade. means for supporting said member in position inside of the shade, said shade and member being constructed and arranged to cause the member to contact with the inside walls of the shade, said shade being provided with a transparent portion through which said member may be seen from the outside of the shade.

23. A lamp shade having an integral transparent portion. an indicia bearing member mounted in said lamp shade behind said transparent portion. said member being snug ly pressed against the interior surface of the transparent portion by its own resilience, and integral means formed in the lamp shade and cooperatively associated with the member for supporting the member in position snugly behind and against the transparent portion of the shade.

24. A lamp globe havingintegral means formed therein for detachably receiving and supporting a sign card in contact with the inner surface of the globe, said globe be ng formed with a remote transparent portion and associated means forming a pocket behind said transparent portion capable of receiving and supporting a second sign card behind said transparent portion.

25. A device of the class described comprising a glass globe having a relatively small opening through which an illuminating element may extend into the globe, means forming an integral transparent portion in said globe walls, means formed in the globe to hold a sign card against said transparent portion, means forming a second integral transparent portion in a remote part of the globe, said globe being formed to provide a pocket behind said second portion for the purpose of receiving and supporting a second sign card behind the second transparent portion.

26. A lamp globe having integral means formed therein for detachably receiving and supporting a sign card in contact with the inner surfaces of the globe, said globe having an opening through which an illuminating element may extend into the globe and having an integral transparent portion formed therein adjacent the opening and'associated means forming a pocket adjacent said transparent port on for receiving and supporting a second sign card behind said transparent por tion.

27. In combination, a unitary glass lamp shade for lighting purposes having an open neck and an integral oblique portion adjacent thereto facing downward and outward; and a removable, flexible, silhouette sign member adapted to be inserted into the shade through the neck thereof, said oblique portion being sufficiently transparent to permit the sign to be read through it from the outside in the daytime and to permit light to pass through, whereby the sign may be read when the lamp is lighted. said oblique portion be ins: arcuate in horizontal section and said strip being adapted to expand within and co operate with the interior of the shade after insertion therein to snugly press'itself against the inner surface of the oblique portion.

28. In combination, a translucent glass globe for lightingpurposes, and a removable, flexible, silhouette sign member adapted to be inserted thereinto to contact the concave inner surface thereof, the globe having an integral internal shoulder for supporting said sign member, and said globe above the shoulder being formed to cooperate with the sign member to hold the latter adjacent to the inner surface of the globe.

29. In combination a unitary globe for lighting purposes having an open neck at the bottom and a translucent portion above said neck facing outwardly and downwardly; and a removable, flexible, silhouette sign member adapted to be inserted into the lobe through the open neck thereof and so configurated as to make substantially close surface contact with the inner concave surface of said portion which faces downwardly and outwardly, the globe having formed therein, at the lower portion of said downwardly and outwardly facing portion, a shoulder for supporting said sign member.

30. In lighting apparatus, in combination,

a globe having an opening at the neck and having adyacent thereto a plurality of substantially transparent oblique portions extending downward and inward, said oblique horizontal section and a removable, flexible silhouette sign strip of approximately the same horizontal dimension as said oblique portion, said oblique portions being bowed outwardly when viewed in horizontal section, and integral means within the lamp shade for causing the sign strip to substantially maintain contact with the oblique portion of said shade.

31. In combination, a unitary lamp shade having an open neck and adjacent thereto an integral sign-displaying portion arcuate in horizontal. section and a removable, flexible silhouette sign member adapted to be inserted into the shade through the neck thereof, said sign-displaying portion being suflicient-- ly transparent to permit the sign to be read through it from the outside in the daytime and to permit light to pass through when the lamp is lighted, said strip being adapted to expand within and cooperate with the interior of the shade after insertion therein to snugly press itself against the inner surface of the sign-displaying portion.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOSEPH H. ALLEN. 

